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Introduction Egyptian Queenship Was Complementary to Kingship, Both In Originalveröffentlichung in: P. Kousoulis and N. Lazaridis (Hg.), Proceedings of the Tenth International Congress of Egyptologists, University of the Aegean, Rhodes, 22-29 May 2008 (Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta 241), Leuven 2015, S. 809–821 PTOLEMAIC QUEENS IN EGYPTIAN TEMPLE RELIEFS: INTERCULTURAL REFLECTIONS OF POLITICAL AUTHORITY, OR RELIGIOUS IMPERATIVES? Martina Minas -Nerpel (Swansea University) Introduction Egyptian queenship was complementary to kingship, both in dynastic and Ptolemaic Egypt: No queen could exist without a king, but at the same time the queen was a neces­ sary component of kingship 1. The royal mothers and wives played a fundamental role in the mythological renewal of kingship, but only in very rare cases, the queen could assume the power and surpass her traditional role as king ’s wife, mother, sister, or daughter. Research on the queens’ role and their status has become more and more popular 0ver the last decades. This is confirmed by the most recent exhibition “Egyptian Queens”, held at the Grimaldi Forum, Monaco, from 12 July to 10 September 2008. The last part of the exhibition is devoted to Cleopatra VII, since “in the Western ■Pagination, the Queen of Egypt is incarnated in Cleopatra ... Paradoxically, however, lhe best-known Queen of Egypt is a Greek descendant of Alexander ’s generals”2. But is it in fact so paradoxical? Researching her on the basis of sources as diverse as hieroglyphic temple inscriptions, demotic and Greek papyri or epigraphic evidence, Classical authors, Egyptian or Egyptianizing statues, and Hellenistic images reveal a dazzling figure who substantially influenced Egypt and the development of the Roman Empire. Cleopatra VII was a Hellenistic monarch of Macedonian origin, but she was a^o the queen of Egypt which is why the Monaco-exhibition sets her at the end of a long development and describes her as following: “She is heir to a long line of attested sovereigns from the end of the fourth millennium BC”3. This emphasizes that Ptolemaic 1 L. Troy, Patterns of Queenship in Ancient Egyptian Myth and History, Boreas: Uppsala Studies in ^"c'ent Mediterranean and Near Eastern Civilizations 1 (Uppsala, 1986), 12. M. Minas , ‘Macht und 'Jhnmacht. Die Representation ptolemaischer Koniginnen in agyptischen Tempeln’, Archiv fur Papyrus- '"’schung 51 (2005), 127-54. Ead ., ‘Cleopatra II and III. The queens of Ptolemy VI and VIII as guarantors of k>ngship and rivals of power’, in: A. Jordens and J.F. Quack (eds.), Agypten zwischen innerem Zwist “fd aufierem Druck. Die Zeit Plolemaios ’ VI. his VIII. Internationales Symposion Heidelberg 16.-19.9.2007 W;esbaden, 2011), 58-76. , See the Exhibition homepage (accessed July 2008), ‘Exhibition’s synopsis, I. The myth of Cleopatra’: I "h7Avww.grimaldiforum.com/eng/culturel/expo_info.aspx ?r=l 19&ID=28. Exhibition catalogue: C. Zieg - ER,(ed.), Reines d ’Egypte. D’Heteplieres a Cleopdtre (Monaco/Paris, 2008). Ibid. 810 M. MINAS-NERPEL queens combine traditional Egyptian and Hellenistic aspects - not only Cleopatra VII, but all Ptolemaic queens. Although Ptolemaic queens participated decisively in religious and political devel­ opments, few scholars focus(ed) on them, for example R. Hazzard who explained, from a Classical point of view, the role of the queen in Ptolemaic propaganda4 , or Sabine Albersmeier and Sally-Ann Ashton who discussed both their Egyptian and Egyptianizing royal sculpture5 . Jan Quaegebeur was one of the very few scholars who interpreted their images and titles in indigenous temples6 and vitally contributed to our understanding of Arsinoe II7. Dorothy Burr Thompson analysed the ruler cult in the Hellenistic art8, Erich Winter in the Egyptian temples9. His study was complemented by a monograph on the Ptolemaic ancestor lines in the Egyptian temples in comparison to the epony­ mous priesthood, in which the queens played a decisive role10 . 11 Ptolemaic queens were depicted in Egyptian temples accompanying the king in various ritual scenes, as deceased queens from Berenike I onwards and as living or acting queens from Arsinoe II. They usually wear traditional Egyptian royal insignia and stand behind the king, generally in a passive role, with an ankh- sign, a sistrum. or a flower in the hand. In the later Ptolemaic period the queen could occasionally present specific offerings like the king". She could even present them by herself, as did queen Nefertari in Nineteenth Dynasty. However, a figure of a king always complemented the Ptolemaic queens, if not in the same ritual scene then at least in an adjacent one. Like the dynastic pharaoh, the Ptolemaic king, by contrast, was shown by himself in the large majority of ritual scenes. 4 R.A. Hazzard , Imagination of a Monarchy: Studies in Ptolemaic Propaganda (Toronto, 2000), 103-59. 5 S. Albersmeier, Untersuchungen zu den Frauenstatuen des ptolemdischen Agypten, AegyphJt'a Treverensia 10 (Trier, 2002). S.-A. Ashton , Ptolemaic Royal Sculpture from Egypt: the Interaction between Greek and Egyptian Traditions, BAR international series 923 (Oxford, 2001). 6 J. Quaegebeur , ‘Reines ptolemaiques et traditions egyptiennes’, in: H. Maehler and V.M. StrocKA (eds.). Das ptolemaische Agypten. Akten des Internationalen Symposions, 27.-29. September 1976 in Bet (Mainz, 1978), 245-62. ' 7 J. Quaegebeur , ‘Ptolemee II en adoration devant Arsinoe II divinisce’, Le Bulletin de I’lnstitutfran(,a' s d ’archeologie orientate 69 (1971), 191-217. Id ., ‘Documents Concerning a Cult of Arsinoe Philadelp 08 at Memphis’, Journal of Near Eastern Studies 30 (1971), 239-70. Id ., ‘Arsinoe Philadelphe, reine, r01 deesse, a Hildesheim ’, Gottinger Miszellen 87 (1985), 73-8. Id ., ‘Documents egyptiens anciens et nouveau relatifs a Arsinoe Philadelphe ’, in: H. Melaerts (ed.), Le cube du souverain dans I’Egypte ptolemaid au IIP siecle avant notre ire. Actes du colloque international, Bruxelles 10 Mai 1995, Studia Hellents 34 (Leuven, 1998), 73-108. u 8 D.J. Burr Thompson , Ptolemaic Oinochoai and Portraits in Faience. Aspects of the Rule' L (Oxford, 1973). KA 9 E. Winter , ‘Der Herrscherkult in den agyptischen Ptolemaertempeln’, in: H. Maehler and V.M. (eds.), Das ptolemaische Agypten. Akten des Internationalen Symposions, 27.-29. September 1976 in 1 (Mainz. 1978), 147-60. 1,1 M. Minas , Die hieroglyphischen Ahnenreihen der ptolemdischen Kdnige. Ein Vergleich mil ‘ der eponymen Priester in den griechischen und demotischen Papyri, Aegyptiaca Treverensia 9 (Trier, - 11 See Minas , Archiv fur Papyrusforschung 51 (2005), 127-54. PTOLEMAIC QUEENS IN EGYPTIAN TEMPLE RELIEFS 811 The way Ptolemaic queens were depicted demonstrated that queenship was a reli­ gious and political complement to kingship, as it had been in dynastic Egypt. However, ■n comparison to dynastic queens, developments and changes in their depiction and in their titles are noticeable. In addition, the depiction of Ptolemaic queens in the Egyptian temples and their titles in the accompanying hieroglyphic inscriptions reflect different aspects than the Hellenistic images or in Greek textual evidence. Their titles in the native context, in particular, have not been studied properly for their political and religious meaning, with very few exceptions, such as "female Ra and "female Horus”12 . *Only through a thorough analysis of their depictions together with the titles and a comparison with papyrological evidence we will be able to understand the image of the Macedonian queens in the Egyptian temples and their status as Egyptian queens11. A complete analysis of the Ptolemaic queens is necessary, a synopsis that takes into account all the evidence, written and iconographic, Greek and Egyptian. For such a comprehensive study research from the perspective of Egyptology, Clas­ sical archaeology, papyrology. and ancient history is vital. In this paper, three specific Egyptian ritual scenes will be considered, posing the question: Are they intercultural reflections of political authority, or religious imperatives? In other words, how far was the political authority of the Ptolemaic queens mirrored in Egyptian temples? Case study 1, Deir el-Medineh: The co-regency of Ptolemy VI, Ptolemy VIII, and C|eopatra II (fig. 1) The first example dates to the joint rule of the three offsprings of Ptolemy V Epiphanes, Ptolemy VI Philometor, his sister-wife Cleopatra II, and Ptolemy VIII. In preparation *0r the war against Syria and the recovery of Coele-Syria, the duality of reign of Ptolemy VI and Cleopatra II was replaced by a triple rule: in October/November 170, •heir younger brother, the future Ptolemy VIII joined his siblings Ptolemy VI and Cleopatra II in ruling Egypt14 . The co-regency of the three Theoi Philometores was c°nimemorated with a new sequence of regnal years, replacing Philometor’s own. 12 D. Dkvauchelle , ‘Breves communications: notes ptolemaiques. §3'. Revue d'Egyptologie 40 (1989), ,9() (Rait). G. Hoi bl ‘Ptolemaische Konigin und weiblicher Pharao’, in: N. Bonacasa el at. (eds.). Faraoni «>me dei, Tolemei come faraoni . Alii del V Congresso Internazionale Italo-Egiziano. Torino. Archivio di Mato, 8-12 dicembre 2001 (Torino/Palermo, 2003). 88-97. ,. The queen was considered to be a manifestation of Hathor, the female prototype of creation. The ^'ngship was not complete without a queen who could be designated as a female Horus. See Minas , Archiv 'iir p apyrusforschung 51 (2005), 130. For further infomiation about the Ptolemaic queens as female Horus M. Eldamaty , 'Die ptolemaische Konigin als Weiblicher Horus . in: A. Jordens and J. Quack (eds.),
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